Cooking with the frozen version of this vegetable could be more beneficial than using fresh, according to an expert
A food expert has urged people to add a 16p freezer staple to their meals in order to boost gut health and up your vitamin intake. According to Professor Tim Spector, founder of Zoe Health, the frozen version of this vegetable comes with more health benefits than fresh.
Speaking in a video uploaded to Instagram, Tim revealed how to get the most out of certain meals. More specifically, he recommended using frozen peas in a tasty recipe for butter beans, lemon and parmesan.
This was an update on a gnocchi recipe by recipe site Mob, in order to cut back on the amount of processed foods we eat. He explained: “I love gnocchi but most of the stuff you buy is ultra-processed, so I’m swapping them out for these butter beans, which are going to go perfectly with this recipe.
“So, I’ve got some edamame here and frozen peas, which I love. I’m going to use crème fraiche, which is a slightly fermented food that adds microbes extra taste and flavour. There you have it – a comforting but nutritionally rich recipe that you’ll love.”
In a caption under the video he explained why frozen peas are a better option over fresh. Tim said: “Swap fresh peas for frozen. Frozen peas are cheaper and available all year round! Contrary to what you may think, they can actually have more vitamin C than fresh peas.”
He continued: “I’ve also added frozen edamame so you get double the plant points and a boost of plant protein.” Peas are packed with many of the nutrients we need to stay health.
BBC Good Food states that 80g of cooked peas contain:
- 5.4g protein
- 4.5g fibre
- 1.2mg iron
- 13mg vitamin C.
This is not the first time Tim has spoken about the benefits of frozen peas over fresh. In a previous appearance on BBC Morning Live he shared more about the vegetable. Talking people through a recipe for pea pancakes, he said: “Most people don’t think of frozen peas as a health food. It’s a good alternative to protein from meat.
“Your gut produces all these chemicals that are key for your immune system, key for your brain, they stop you getting depressed, keep your metabolism under control, control your weight, stop you getting hungry. So the more your microbes get to eat, the more chemicals they can produce, the healthier you are. Forget this five-a-day, what you need is 30-a-week.”
You can buy a 910g bag of frozen peas from Ocado for £1.45, which works out as 16p per 100g.